An audio message purportedly from al-Qaida's leader, Osama bin Laden, has claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day bombing attempt on a Detroit-bound plane and vowed further attacks.

In a recording carried by al-Jazeera, the Arabic news channel, the man supposed to be Bin Laden addressed the US president, Barack Obama, saying the attack was a message like that of September 11 and that more attacks against the US would be forthcoming.

"The message delivered to you through the plane of the heroic warrior Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was a confirmation of the previous messages sent by the heroes of the September 11," he said.

"America will never dream of security unless we will have it in reality in Palestine," he added. "God willing, our raids on you will continue as long as your support to the Israelis will continue."

Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian national, has been charged with attempting to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight as it approached Detroit Metro airport on Christmas Day. The bomb he was hiding in his underwear failed to explode.

He told federal agents shortly afterwards that al-Qaida operatives in Yemen had trained and instructed him in the plot.

There was no way to confirm the voice on the tape was that of Bin Laden, but it resembled previous recordings attributed to him.